Trousers-stretcher



C. ,E. RAY.

TROUSERS STRETGHER.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 1, 1887.-

INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

- WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ERNEST BAY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TROUSERS-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,960, dated February 1, 1887.

Application filed August 25, 1886. Serial No. 211,829.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ERNEST RAY, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California,'have invented a new and Improved Trousers-Stretcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to stretchers for trousers, and has for its object to so improve the construction of such devices that all bagging at the knees and wrinkles can be effectually removed, the application being made to the trousers in a speedy and easy manner, and wherein not only a constant tension is kept upon the garment when embraced by the stretcher, but also wherein the tension can be regulated to meet the requirement of light or heavy garments, or those badly or slightly wrinkled.

It'consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which the figure represents a garment -in process of treatment with my stretcher.

It is a well known fact that trousers from continued wear become more or less wrinkled, and also baggy at the knees. I aim to easily, quickly, and effectively remove all such traces of wear from the garment. To effect this end I use,in connection with a pair of trousers,A, at the upper portion thereof below the waistband, a clamp, 13, constructed, preferably, of flat parallel metal plates-1 and 2,slightly longer than the width of the trousers at the waist, united by ahinge at one end to receive-the upper portion of the trousers between them, and provided with apertures at the other end adapted to receive a thumb-screw, 3,whereby the said clamp Bis held in close embrace with said trousers A. The plate 1 of the clamp B is provided with an eye, 4, formed integral therewith centrally upon the upper edge thereof. A second clamp, C, is employed to embrace the bottom of the trousers, shorter than clamp 13, but of greater length than the width of the trousers at this point, constructed, in a similar manner to the said clamp B, of two hinged plates, 5 and 6, apertured at their free ends to receive a thumb-screw, 7, the eye 8, however, in this -short clamp C, is formed in (No model.)

tegral with the plate 5 upon the under edge thereof. The trousers thus securely embraced, top and bottom, by the clamps B and C, are suspended vertically from a wall or other con venient object by means of an elastic connection-such as the spiral spring 9 shown, a thick rubber band, a strip of rubber webbing, or similar material secured at one end to the eye 4 of the top clamp, 13, and at the other to a hook or other convenient holdfast. A strap, 10, is then passed through the eye 8 of the lever-clamp O, and also through a screw eye or ring attached to the floor. Thesaid strap is then drawn as tight as deemed necessary and buckled, and an even constant tension is now kept on the trousers through the agency of spring9. Itisnotabsolutely necessarythatthe trousers be suspended in a vertical or angular position,as when stretched in a horizontal position the effect is the same, and the position at times more convenient-as, for instance, a board may be used, provided with a hook and screw eye-or ring secured thereon vertically at a proper distance apart.

Through the use of the elastic connection aforesaid, by which an even tension is kept at all times on the garment, in connection with the strap on the lower clamp, the tension can be regulated to meet the requirements of treating a light or heavy garment, or those badly or slightly wrinkled or bagged at the knees.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Astretcherfortrousers,consistingofahinged clamp, B, adapted to embrace the trousers below the waistband, provided with a central uppereye, 4, a spring, 9, fastened in said eye, and a thumb-nut,3,a hinged clamp,C,adapted to embrace the trousers at the bottom, provided with a central lower eye, 8', a strap, 10, furnished with a buckle,passing through said eye 8, and a thumb'nut, 7, substantially as shown and described,whereby the trousers are suspended by the spring engaging a hook in the wall, and the strap passing through an eyebolt in the floor, as set forth.

CHARLES ERNEST RAY.

Witnesses:

ROBERT MOELROY, DAVID WOLFE. 

